The Final Quest
by SammyLynn
Summary: Harry needs to search for the remaining horcruxes and unravel the mystery of a lost secret. He is not alone, but his path is dangerous. Will he succeed? Harry&Ginny, Ron&Hermione. Ch. 8 up!
1. Dudley's Dinner

Disclaimer: The amazing world of Harry Potter is not mine. That belongs to the brilliant J. K. Rowling and none other.

A/N: Well everyone, I haven't written in a while, but I have an idea, so I'm going to go with it and see where it takes me. Enjoy!

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The Final Quest

Chapter One: Dudley's Dinner

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The sun was setting on Privet Drive as a warm summer day came to its end. The street was deserted, as were the nicely-kept yards of the various residents living in this particular part of Little Whinging. All of the children who had been playing outside earlier in the day had undoubtedly been called inside their houses for dinner. The doorway of number seven was lit up, as though its occupants were waiting for a family member to arrive home. Soft classical music floated through the open kitchen window, a treat to the ears of passersby.

Inside, Mrs. Number Seven was busily preparing a meal for her family and her son's guest. He had invited a boy over who lived just a few houses down, and she wanted to make a good impression. _Maybe he'll go home and tell that nosy mother of his that he had a wonderful home-cooked meal…_ she thought. After all, everyone living on Privet Drive seemed to be in some kind of competition. Nothing abnormal, of course. Simply questions of who had a better car and lawn, or which couples were having marriage troubles. And outsider would think that the people on Privet Drive were as perfect as can be. Nothing strange or unusual about any of them. However, everyone has secrets.

At this very moment, Mrs. Number Seven heard a shriek. Her young daughter came racing into the kitchen looking distraught.

"Mum! Gordon and Dudley are ruining my tea party! My dolls and stuffed animals are all crying!"

"That's lovely, dear," replied the girl's mother, completely disregarding what her daughter had to say and paying more attention to the roast beef she was cutting. "Call the boys down for dinner, will you? Your father will be home any minute now…"

The girl ran from the room just as the front door opened and closed.

"I'm home, darling!" a man's voice called from the parlor.

His wife replied, "I'm in the kitchen! Dinner is just about ready."

The little girl's voice screeched, "Gordon! Dudley! Dinner!" She went back into the kitchen and sat down with her father. Mrs. Number Seven was setting the mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables down on the table.

"Now, where are those boys?" the woman asked, fumbling with her apron and taking a seat as well.

"I _told_ you, they were-"the girl started, but then Gordon and Dudley entered the room.

"Thank you again for inviting me to dinner, ma'am," Dudley said, plastering an overly bright smile on his chubby face.

"You're very welcome. Now, eat up!"

"So, how's your summer going so far, boys?" Mr. Number Seven asked.

"Dad, it's only been a week," Gordon replied.

Dudley swallowed a rather large bite of roast beef and put on his fake grin again. "But it's been great!"

Mr. Number Seven smiled back. "Now, I understand you have a brother who goes to another school…"

Dudley's smile immediately changed into a grimace. "That's Harry. He's not my brother, he's my cousin. His parents died 16 years ago, and he was left with us."

"Well, that's very kind of your parents to take him in."

"Yeah, well, we really don't like him very much." Mr. and Mrs. Number Seven looked up, astonished at Dudley's harsh demeanor. "He's a pain, not to mention a delinquent. He attends a magi-" Dudley's eyes widened. "I mean, he attends St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys."

Mrs. Number Seven looked as though Christmas had come early. After all, gossip was one of her priorities. "Why on earth-" she said, but was interrupted by her husband.

"Now, dear, that's really none of our business. But, Dudley, shouldn't Harry be back home on holiday by now?"

"I think so, but-" they never heard what Dudley had to say, for at that moment, three extremely loud popping noises came from the street, just outside the house, making everyone at the table jump.

Gordon got up from his seat and ran to the window. His jaw dropped. "Er…Dudley? You might want to come and look at this…"

Dudley stood up from his chair and joined Gordon at the window. The next second, he was bolting out of the house.

"Well, that was certainly rude," remarked Mrs. Number Seven.

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A/N: Well, thank you for reading! I hope you liked the first chapter. It's a bit of a different angle, right? Well, please review with any questions or comments. Thanks again!

By: SammyLynn


	2. The Last of the Dursleys

Disclaimer: My room is covered in Harry Potter merchandise, but unfortunately, I cannot take credit for any of it.

A/N: Big thanks to my reviewers, DragoNorgard, ME, and gardnergirl. I appreciate your words! Also, I just edited this chapter a bit, so it reads the way it's supposed to now.

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The Final Quest

Chapter Two: The Last of the Dursleys

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"Some things never change."

Harry Potter's vivid green eyes swept the uniform neighborhood that he knew so well, yet never felt apart of. The manicured lawns and the picket fences were the same as they were the previous summer, as were Harry's feelings of being out of place. Privet Drive was not where Harry belonged, and he was happy to know that after this visit, he would never have to set foot on this street again.

The bespectacled young man was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of feet pounding on pavement.

"How the hell did _you _get here?"

Harry looked up. Standing in front of him was a boy the same age as Harry, but at least three times the size. His usually neat and tidy tufts of blond hair were sticking out at odd angles from running so fast, which was something that Dudley Dursley seldom took part in.

"Nice to see you, too, Dud," Harry replied dully.

Dudley cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Mum and Dad won't be too glad to see you. They were thinking that you had decided not to come back."

Harry had expected this. His aunt and uncle were highly superficial people, and most likely were not keen on the prospect of Harry's return. "They won't be glad to see me? Really, I thought they'd be waiting to greet me with open arms, and possibly decorations and a cake, as well."

Dudley's face turned a dark shade of red. He rarely took Harry's sarcasm with ease.

"Who are _they?" _Dudley asked, his voice rich with venom.

Harry glanced at the two people beside him. One, a girl, had bushy brown hair and was said to be the brightest witch of her age. The other was a tall, gangly boy with a shock of red hair and freckles. They both were wearing black robes that were identical to Harry's, and were holding wands at their sides, prepared for anything.

"These are my two best friends, you know, from my school," Harry began. He noticed Dudley's eyes drop to the wands that his companions were sure to be gripping tightly. His cousin's eyes bulged in fear. After all, he was used to seeing one wizard at a time, and when he had met other members of Harry's world, it resulted in either a pig's tail emerging from his bottom, or a grotesque enlargement of his tongue. "Ron, Hermione, I give you…Dudley."

"Pleasure," Hermione said in a quiet voice, holding out her hand. Dudley did not bother to take it.

Ron grimaced. He exasperatedly muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, _"Muggles…"_

Harry smirked and looked expectantly at his cousin. "Well, care to lead the way to the house?"

Dudley, forgetting all about his dinner plans with Gordon and his family, stalked off towards Number Four, Privet Drive. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed back several paces so Dudley could not hear their voices.

"Not a very nice bloke, is he?" whispered Ron.

Harry snorted. "That's Dudley for you."

"Well, he's got a disease, what do you expect?" asked Hermione. Harry and Ron just looked at her. "Ever hear of being spoiled rotten? A fate worse than death, I say…" she remarked smartly, and continued to follow Harry's ill-mannered cousin.

They entered the house to see that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were in the middle of a dinner of their own. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the dining room in Dudley's wake, there was a clatter as two sets of silverware dropped to the table.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon," Harry said.

Uncle Vernon was a portly man with a large black mustache and barely any neck. However, Aunt Petunia had a long enough neck for the two of them, blond hair, and the face of a horse, as well.

"What is the meaning of this!" Uncle Vernon growled. His face was becoming darker by the second. His beady eyes were darting from his son, who was cowering in the corner of the room, to Ron, to Hermione, and then finally to Harry.

"You were aware of the fact that I would be visiting you one last time," Harry stated calmly.

His uncle stood up. "Well, here you are. You came, and now you can leave. OUT!"

"I think I'll stay for a few more minutes, thanks."

Uncle Vernon's face was the color of a plum by now. Aunt Petunia had not moved from her seat at the table. She was staring at Harry with an unreadable expression.

"Who are these people, and why have you brought them into out home?" she asked, shifting her gaze to glare at Ron and Hermione.

"We're his friends," said Hermione defiantly.

"Yeah, thanks for inviting us." Ron sat down at the table and began gnawing on a biscuit. Hermione sat in the seat next to him, and Harry moved so he was between the two, leaning on their chairs. If Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked appalled when Harry and his friends first entered, it was nothing compared to how they looked now. From their faces, Harry could not tell whether the biscuit that Ron was chewing looked to them like their first-born child or their life savings. When they saw that Ron had also placed his wand on their table, they decided he had gone far enough.

Uncle Vernon was the first to speak. "Get that…that…"

"That _thing…"_ Aunt Petunia said, her voice deathly quiet.

"Off of our table!" her husband finished.

Ron grinned. "What, this? It's just a wa-"

"Don't you dare say it!" Aunt Petunia exclaimed in a rush.

"Don't say what? _Wand?"_

"OUT!" Uncle Vernon yelled. "GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!"

Harry pointed his wand at his uncle and shouted, _"Silencio!"_ just as he was taking a breath that would able him to yell some more. "You've unnecessarily raised your voice to me for sixteen years. I won't allow you to do that to me anymore, much less to my friends." Harry was not going to let his uncle interfere; he was back at Privet Drive for two reasons. One, to fulfill his late headmaster's wishes, and two, to fulfill his own.

Uncle Vernon looked rather like a fish. His lips were moving rapidly, but no sound was being emitted from them. He began to grab at his throat.

Dudley and Aunt Petunia ran to him, screaming.

"What have you done!" Harry's aunt gasped.

"Nothing that I can't undo. Now, if you would please join me in the living room, I'd like to ask you about my mother."

Harry walked over to an utterly shocked Aunt Petunia, took her by the arm, and guided her out of the dining room. As they were leaving, he heard Uncle Vernon and Dudley running into the kitchen, with Ron and Hermione on their heels.

Harry knew he had to be quick, for he was not yet seventeen years of age, the age of an adult wizard. Students who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were not allowed to use magic outside of school until they became of age. The Ministry of Magic was bound to be sending a letter to Privet Drive, by owl, at any moment, saying that illegal underage magic had been performed. Soon after, a Ministry official would undoubtedly be showing up at the house, demanding that Harry's wand be confiscated.

He ushered his aunt into a chair, and sat on the couch opposite her. "Aunt Petunia," he started. "I need you to tell me about my mother."

She looked as though the idea of talking about her dead sister disgusted her. "Why?" she demanded in an angry voice.

"Peace of mind, I suppose," Harry replied, though that was only part of the reason. He needed all the information he could possibly get.

She gave in. "Very well," she said coolly. "Where to start, where to start…when we were growing up, before she went off to that _school,_ she was…she was the only friend I had. If I had a bad day, I knew I could come home, and Lily would be there, ready to listen. I could tell her anything…but that all changed when she got a letter inviting her to you-know-where. Delivered by an owl, nonetheless!" Aunt Petunia shuddered.

"But why would that change? If you were so close…"

"I figured that she would come home from there and use everything I had told her against me. So I gave her the cold shoulder for years and years. I suppose things could have been different if she wasn't so strange…but that's all in the past now. What matters is, that school changed her. She was still her smart, funny, intriguing self, but she was able to do something I wasn't. She had one up on me. I was constantly jealous. I couldn't understand why our parents adored her so much. She was just like a normal kid, except for the fact that she could perform magic. I found it so weird, so…unusual. Lily and I drifted apart. We came to despise one another. I hated her because she was an oddball, and she got angry with me because she thought I was superficial. I honestly don't know where she got her ideas from…"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"…Probably from that Potter boy. Your father," Aunt Petunia continued. "He was just as bad, if not worse than your mother. Two peas in a pod, they were. Always joking around. They couldn't have had real jobs…though I heard Lily saying to our parents, ages ago, that she and that Potter were trying to convince some Order that Voldemort was…oh, what's the word…he was using Hairpluckers to do something…"

Harry gasped. _"Horcruxes…"_ he said quietly. He was in awe.

"Yes, those. Well, the last time I saw him…and Lily, for that matter, was after my parents passed away, about a year before you were born. They died in a car crash."

Harry was still thinking about what Aunt Petunia said about 'Hairpluckers' when her final comment registered in his mind. "I suppose that's where you got the idea from?"

"Excuse me?"

"You told me that my parents died in a car crash. That is, before I learned the truth."

"Oh, right…"

"Well. I've certainly heard enough. Thanks." The clock was ticking, and Harry's mind was reeling. He got up to find Ron and Hermione, his aunt following him.

They walked into the kitchen to see Uncle Vernon kneeling on the floor, and Dudley looking hopelessly down his throat.

"I don't know what to do, Dad! I don't know what to do!"

Ron and Hermione were leaning against the counter, engaging in normal conversation, having poured themselves glasses of lemonade from a pitcher in the counter.

"Time to go?" Hermione asked.

Ron grinned. "Oh, but we were having such a good time…what a shame."

Harry gave a half-hearted laughed and pointed his wand at Uncle Vernon, chanting a counter curse. "See you!" Harry yelled, and with that, he ran from the room. Ron and Hermione rapidly put down their glasses of lemonade and followed him, just as an owl swooped in through the open kitchen window.

They heard Uncle Vernon's yell of, "RUDDY OWLS!" from the street.

"So…Harry…" Hermione said, gasping for air.

"What did your aunt have to say?" Ron finished for her, patting her lightly on the back.

"Not much that I didn't already know…" Harry lied. He thought it best to put off telling them about the theory that Aunt Petunia said his parents presented to the Order of the Phoenix.

Ron and Hermione frowned.

"Don't worry about it. We're going to find more information on Voldemort, and we're going to finish him," said Harry with confidence. He ran a hand through his messy, black hair. "The Dursleys…well, I never have to worry about them again."

They all smiled.

"Where to, now?" Hermione asked, preparing to Apparate for the second time that day.

"The Burrow, of course." Ron supplied. "We've got to get ready for Bill and Fleur's wedding."

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A/N: Thanks again for reading! Please review with any questions or comments. School starts in a little over a week (senior year, woo!), so I'd better get cracking on this story!

By: SammyLynn


	3. Through the Floo

Disclaimer: Is this _really _necessary?

A/N: Thanks for my new reviews from Callie, Jeefus, EvangelicShadowStrike, and classicjs. Callie, send me the link to your story, and I'd be glad to read it.

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The Final Quest

Chapter Three: Through the Floo

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Ginny Weasley was waiting impatiently for her brother's return. Rocking back and forth in a chair by the fireplace, she asked herself, "Where could he be? He left ages ago! Blast him for passing his Apparition test…"

She had a handful of what appeared to be glitter clutched in her right hand. A fire was roaring beside her, which seemed rather strange, considering the season.

Her rocking stopped when the door to the Burrow creaked open and Ron Weasley walked into the room.

Ginny stood up and narrowed her eyes. "Where have you been? Everyone's already left for Diagon Alley, and I was stuck here, waiting for you! You had better have a good reason-"

"Ginny, give it a rest. You sound like Mum," Ron pointed out.

"_Ronald!_ I do not!"

"_Ginevra!_ You do, too!"

Ginny's lightly-freckled cheeks began to blush prettily. "Don't call me that!"

"Okay, you two, stop fighting," came another girl's voice.

Ginny brushed a lock of red hair away from her face to see that Harry and Hermione were standing a few feet behind Ron, watching their quarrel.

"Oh…hello," she said, her voice quivering slightly at the sight of Harry. "Well, I hope you all have your gold with you, because we're going directly to Madam Malkin's. Mum says it's too dangerous to be walking the streets of Diagon Alley without Dad, though I reckon-"

Ron interrupted her. "Dad's been at the Ministry day and night-"

"_Though I reckon," _Ginny continued, "We're in as much danger there as we are anywhere else."

"Hear, hear," said Harry and Ron in unison.

"Well, I'm going to catch up with the others…Phlegm is bound to pick out hideous dress robes for me if I don't get there in time…" and with that, Ginny walked over to the fireplace and threw the glitter she held in her hand right into the blazing flames within it. They instantly turned green, and she carefully stepped into them. "Madam Malkin's!" Ginny called, and she disappeared.

Ron walked over to the place where Ginny had stood moments before and picked up a bucket that was filled to the brim with the glittery substance his sister had used. "It's a shame that the Ministry has put Anti-Apparition charms all over Diagon Alley. It won't help much. If the Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts, I'm betting they can go anywhere." Ron held out the bucket for Harry and Hermione. "Floo powder, anyone?"

Hermione hesitated. "Are you absolutely positive that it's safe?"

Ron gaped at her. "Hermione, have you ever read a book that said traveling by Floo is unsafe?"

"Well, no, but-"

"And you always trust information from books, don't you?" Harry questioned with a grin on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright." She took some of the glittery Floo Powder in her hand and tossed it into the fire. She stepped in, the green flames tickling her sides. After coughing a bit, she shouted, "Madam Malkin's!"

Ron laughed. "I swear, she's senile."

"Yeah," Harry replied, not paying much attention. He wanted to ask Ron the one question that had been on his mind for a week; since the day that he, Ron, and Hermione had left Hogwarts for good. "So…how's Ginny?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know, mate. When I talked to Mum from the fireplace in our room at The Leaky Cauldron, she told me that Ginny keeps to herself a lot. Maybe you should talk to her," he suggested.

Harry sighed in response.

He had been so happy with Ginny. Just thinking about the kisses they shared made Harry wish for more. Yet, he had broken off their relationship. It was for some "stupid, noble reason," as she had put it. Harry was concerned for her safety. If Voldemort, the most dangerous wizard in history, found out about Harry's feelings for Ginny, she could get hurt, or even murdered, like so many others who had been close to Harry. He refused to let that happen. It also did not help matters any that Harry was hunting Voldemort, or rather, searching for his Horcruxes. He needed to find and destroy the remaining, well-hidden pieces of Voldemort's soul before going after his body. _Three down, four to go…_ Harry thought.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"Yeah…right…maybe I'll talk to her." Harry grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and soon after, he vanished from the room, just as Hermione and Ginny had done before him.

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Harry was not accustomed to traveling by Floo. He never liked it much. The constant spinning, the blur of color, and the howling wind made his stomach churn. Stepping out of the fireplace at Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, Harry felt like he was going to retch. The throaty voice of a beautiful French woman could not even help the situation.

The second she spotted him, Fleur Delacour exclaimed, " 'Arry!" and latched onto him.

"Hi, Fleur," Harry said, gripping his stomach.

"Bill and I are so excited about ze wedding. I already 'ave my gown, of course, but I want to see what ze rest are going to wear. I was just telling Bill's muzzer 'ow you would look seemply stunning in zese dark green robes!"

"Actually, _I _was saying that."

Harry looked up to see an angry Mrs. Weasley glaring daggers at her future daughter-in-law.

She handed Harry the dark green robes, and said to him kindly, "They'll bring out your eyes, dear, just like the ones I picked out for you in your fourth year at Hogwarts."

Harry thanked her, and she walked off to help Ginny and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle, find Bridesmaid's robes.

"Ronald!" Fleur said dramatically, and quickly traded Harry for Ron as he stepped out of the fireplace. Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was looking at ivory-colored dress robes. Harry thought she might curse Fleur into oblivion if she didn't let go of Ron soon.

Harry spotted Bill (looking remarkably better than he had several days before, after an encounter with a werewolf) and Charlie Weasley looking at black robes in one corner of the store, and then-

"Harry, old boy!"

"How do we look?"

Harry turned to see Fred and George Weasley wearing identical dark red velvet robes.

They walked over to him and clapped him on the back. Harry pressed a hand to his mouth, still not feeling his best.

"We're absolutely stunning, I know."

"Lucky for us, we found a color of red that doesn't clash with the Weasley hair."

"You two will look great as ze ushers," came Fleur's voice.

"Ushers?" Harry asked the twins.

"Yup. At your service," answered George.

Fred winked. "Our little brother is very jealous, naturally."

Ron found his way over to them. "I am _not!"_

"Yes you are. You threw a fit when Mum told you by Floo."

"I...how do you…no I didn't!" Ron's ears were turning red as he went into a dressing room carrying midnight blue robes. He slammed the door shut.

"You ought to stop picking on him," Hermione called.

"If I'm not mistaken, Hermione-" Fred started.

"And he's not," George cut in.

"You just looked like you were about to kill him a few moments ago," Fred finished.

Hermione scowled. She ripped the ivory dress robes off of the rack, and walked over to the room next to Ron's. She did not even look back at the twins before slamming the door shut, making more of a racket than Ron had.

Twenty minutes later, they all had their purchases in hand. Mrs. Weasley bought turquoise robes for herself, and charcoal-colored ones for her husband. Bill was going to wear black dress robes, along with Charlie. Fred and George went with the dark red robes, and Ginny and Gabrielle had chosen gold. Ron and Hermione both bought the robes they had tried on in the dressing rooms, for they were too irritable to continue shopping.

As for Harry, he had decided to buy the dark green dress robes that Mrs. Weasley recommended. However, he was the only one completely dreading his transport back to the Burrow by Floo.

Before he stepped into the fireplace, he glanced out the window of the shop, and his jaw dropped. It looked as though the street of Diagon Alley had been completely drained of color and activity. Many stores were boarded up and closed down because of the terror that Voldemort was likely to ensue. Banners and displays had either been taken down or wrecked. The street was vacant.

"So this is what It's going to be like…" Harry said to himself.

"What was that, Harry?" Ginny asked from behind him.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing."

He walked into the flames and disappeared in a whirl of color.

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A/N: I hope you liked it! I just love Fred and George. Please review with any questions (I'll answer them!) or comments (I'll be looking forward to them!). Thanks for reading!

By: SammyLynn


	4. A Unique Celebration

Disclaimer: Harry Potter plus his world equals J. K. Rowling's.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I've decided to write lists at the end of the story from now on, addressing my reviewers personally, because, aside from one person, all of you have been very kind. I appreciate it!

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The Final Quest

Chapter Four: A Unique Celebration

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Harry awoke the morning of the wedding to a loud explosion. He snatched his glasses off of the nightstand beside his cot, and looked around the room, expecting to see Ron up and about.

He heard a few snores coming from something beneath the Chudley Cannon's covers of Ron's bed.

_Of course… _he thought. Harry pulled the bedclothes off of his friend and nudged him a few times. Ron only snorted and rolled over.

Harry sighed. He walked to the window to find the source of the explosion that had jolted him out of a peaceful, dreamless sleep. He looked down to see Fred and George waving their wands about in the backyard, creating fireworks.

Harry laughed. _This could be one of the last days of fun we have, _he thought. _Why not make it count?_

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Harry and Ron were dressed and pocketing their wands when a harassed-looking Mrs. Weasley opened the door.

"Boys, can you please come downstairs and help set everything up?" she asked quickly, and without waiting for an answer, she walked back downstairs.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been staying at the Burrow since they bought their dress robes. After much insistence by Mrs. Weasley, they decided to stay for a couple of days after the wedding, as well, so a small going away party could be held on Harry's birthday. Then, they would be back at The Leaky Cauldron.

The Weasleys were worried about what the three of them were doing, but were supportive, nonetheless. Ron and Hermione were already of age, and Harry would be in a matter of days. Nothing could be done to change their minds.

"Shall we?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

Harry opened the door to find Hermione standing there, barefoot, already in her dress robes, and her hair half-done.

"Mr. Weasley just arrived," she informed them.

"You know, I still don't understand why you girls don't have to help set up at all. You don't need the entire day to dress!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "The entire day?"

"The wedding is in the evening," said Hermione. "You two should get downstairs!" And with that, she ran off, holding down the straight side of her hair. The other side was still bushy, flailing behind her.

"_Senile," _Ron breathed.

Harry rolled his eyes and followed Hermione down to the girls' landing, where he heard Fleur saying, "Zis is not acceptable…"

He and Ron looked at each other, and mentally decided to get down to the kitchen as fast as possible.

The scent of an abundance of different foods jumbled together reached their noses as they entered the room.

"Mum," Ron started. "What the-"

Mrs. Weasley turned around, her hands covered in what appeared to be cake batter. "Outside!" she snapped.

Fred and George were still shooting fireworks when Harry and Ron joined them.

"Finally," said George.

"Took you long enough." Fred pointed to about a dozen round tables scattered about the lawn. "See those? We've got to put six on each side, make an aisle between them, and put four place settings on each."

Harry, who had never been to a wedding before, much less the union between a witch and a wizard, said, "Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

George smirked. "Oh, and he forgot to mention we can't use magic."

Ron's jaw dropped. _"What?"_

"Let me guess," said Harry. "Fleur wants everything to be perfect."

"You bet," said the twins, and they all got to work, Ron muttering angrily under his breath.

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It was early afternoon when they finished, and Harry and Ron were both starved. Since they had both skipped breakfast, they went inside to eat.

Bill and Charlie were already sitting at the kitchen table, munching on sandwiches. A plate in the middle of the table was full of them. Harry and Ron sat down, grabbing their own.

As Bill was conjuring glasses of pumpkin juice for the two of them, Harry asked him, "Are you nervous at all?"

"Not really," Bill replied. "Well…I'm just nervous about meeting the rest of Fleur's family. I'm not sure that I'm quite what they'll be expecting…" Bill trailed off.

Harry was rather confident that Bill was not what the rest of Fleur's relatives would be expecting. However, he decided not to voice this particular opinion.

Bill grinned at them, and continued. "Anyway, Fleur and Gabrielle have been staying with us, but the others are flying in later on."

"On brooms, you mean?"

Ron gave Harry an odd look. "Yeah, what else?"

Harry just grinned, not even bothering to tell him about the different forms of Muggle transportation.

"How're you, Harry?" asked Charlie concernedly.

"Right now, I'm great. I'm looking forward to the wedding tonight."

Charlie smiled. "Good for you."

Harry had to be happy, just for this one day. He had to put a smile on his face for the only people left who he could call by the most precious name in existence. They were his family.

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There could not have been a more perfect time for the ceremony. The sun had barely set, and the dark blue sky was streaked with pink, purple, and orange hues. The half-moon was already shining down on them, serving as the only source of light aside from the fireflies that were suspended over each table and hidden amongst the scattered flower petals resting on the aisle. The stars were just beginning to twinkle, reminding everyone of the mischievous light that always seemed to be captured within Albus Dumbledore's eye.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all seated at the same table to the right of the aisle. Harry flicked a mosquito off of his dark green dress robes, and glanced at Ron. Every so often, Ron could be seen staring at Hermione. Harry grinned. He could not bring himself to blame Ron; Hermione looked lovely. Her hair had been magically straightened, by Ginny, no doubt, and it fell graciously about her shoulders. She turned to Ron and caught him looking at her. Hermione's cheeks tinted pink, and she went back to watching the back door of the Burrow, waiting for the bridesmaids to emerge.

Just then, shadows could be seen through the window by the door.

"I think it's starting!" Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron excitedly.

Mr. Weasley opened the door, and ushered his wife outside. They were both beaming as they walked down the aisle arm in arm, and sat down at a table close to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand at an old piano, which was nestled behind Bill, Fred, and George, who were standing by the alter. It began to lightly play a strange, but beautiful tune.

Charlie Weasley came out next, with a woman who could only be Fleur's mother gripping his arm firmly. The woman's long, silvery-blond hair was tied up in an eloquent French design. She had minimal lines on her porcelain face; a certain sign that she rarely took part in laughter.

Charlie led her to the left side of the aisle, where she sat with the rest of the Delacours, who were looking equally humorless. Charlie then took his place at the center of the alter, for he would be reciting the vows of the bride and groom.

Gasps could be heard from Fleur's relatives as Gabrielle walked down the aisle. She looked very pretty in her robes of dark, glittering gold. Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, and tied with a ribbon. Gabrielle took her place to the left of Charlie.

Many eyes were still on Gabrielle, but Harry's were locked on the figure now walking down the aisle.

Dressed head to toe in shimmering, pale gold dress robes, Ginny looked angelic. Her red hair flowed down her back in natural, subtle waves. The freckles below her turquoise eyes, which were usually prominent no matter what the occasion, appeared to be hiding behind her flushed, rosy cheeks. The corners of her mouth were upturned in an innocent, sheepish smile as she looked around at the many guests. Harry found that he was unable to move. When their eyes met, Ginny's hands began to tremble. She was holding a solitary white lily between them.

It seemed to take a lifetime for Ginny to reach the alter, but as soon as she took her place next to Gabrielle, the music coming from the piano became stronger and louder.

Fleur walked out the door, and slowly down the aisle. She looked stunning in her silver wedding gown, and was smiling more brightly than ever before. When she finally stood beside Bill at the alter, she gave her bouquet of red roses to her sister and took her groom's outstretched hands. The music stopped so that Charlie could be heard.

"Love is something that is truly beautiful," He began, looking fondly at the couple. "When one finds love, it should be cherished, for it is something that is only guaranteed to few."

Harry found his gaze drifting to where Ginny was standing. She appeared to be deep in thought, staring straight back at him They looked at each other for a while, until Fred and George made a big deal of pretending to have forgotten the wedding rings.

When George took the silver bands out of his pocket and handed them to his older brother, Charlie continued. "The two people standing in front of us all have found love, despite the dark times we are all facing." He handed Fleur's ring to Bill, and Bill's to Fleur.

"Do you, Fleur Delacour, take Bill Weasley to be your husband?"

Bill brought her left hand up and slid the diamond ring onto her awaiting finger. "Yes," she said, still beaming.

"And do you, Bill Weasley, take Fleur Delacour to be your wife?"

Fleur, in turn, slid Bill's wedding band onto his finger. "I do," Bill replied.

"I now announce you to be husband and wife. Go ahead and kiss her, Bill," Charlie finished, smirking.

And he did.

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Sometime between Bill and Fleur taking their seats at their own table, Charlie, Fred, and George joining their parents, Gabrielle joining her family, and Ginny choosing to sit with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, full dinner plates had appeared at each place setting.

"Ginny," Hermione was saying. "You look beautiful!"

Ginny simply smiled.

"Yes, you do," Harry commented.

She turned to him. "Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome."

Ron sighed. "Let's eat, shall we? Oh, look, bouillabaisse…"

Harry could have sworn he heard Hermione growl.

An hour and a half later, after everyone had eaten and offered their congratulations to Bill and Fleur, the alter vanished. In its place was what looked to Harry like a dance floor, with the old piano resting on top. Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at the piano again, which now began to play a soft, slow song. Bill and Fleur stood up to have their first dance as a married couple.

After a few moments, several other pairs made their way to the dance floor, one of those being Ron and Hermione, after much prodding from Fred and George. Harry and Ginny were left alone at the table.

Harry was deep in thought. So much was racing around in his mind. Thoughts of Ron, Hermione, and the quest that lay ahead of them started to take over, even when he tried to have fun and resist them.He rested his head in his hands.

After some time, he looked up and took a deep breath. "Ginny-"

At the same time, Ginny had started to say, "Harry-"

They both laughed nervously. Why, they did not know. They had been alone together many times. Why should this have been any different?

"A sickle for your thoughts?" Ginny asked him, trying to smile.

Harry shook his head.

"Well, honor me with a dance, then."

Harry glanced at her and grinned. He stood up and held his hand out. Ginny took it, and they walked to where the many other couples were dancing, and Harry saw Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. They looked very happy, and he waved to them before wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist. Harry still clasped her hand in his, and held it up as she placed her other hand on his shoulder.

They danced and danced, staring into each other's eyes, seeing nothing but the feelings they both held for each other. That was the way it was supposed to be. Harry and Ginny, together forever. But it could not be. It had to end, or Ginny could get hurt. And that scared Harry more than anything else.

Harry held Ginny close to him, and kissed her cheek gently, hoping that she would feel safe one last time.

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A/N: I hope you liked it! And now, for my reviewers.

Rosie5: Hello! Thank you so much for what you said in your review, it means a lot! And I've read your story, it's great! I've actually been a fan of yours for a while, since the beginning of The Good New Days. I'd be glad to compare notes, if you'd like. My e-mail address should be in my profile somewhere, but it's just in case.

Luvguurl: Thank you! I tend to update on a weekly-biweekly basis.

Master Slytherin: Well, I must say that I've been debating on what to write in response to your reviews, and I came up with this. 1) I had a lot of fun writing my first chapter, and do not appreciate it being called 'dull.' You could have said, 'you could possibly have added a bit more description,' or, 'grab the reader's attention,' instead of being negative. 2) I do not think that my second chapter was at all unrealistic. When put under the pressure of magic, Aunt Petunia is the type of person who would do anything to make things be normal again. She's also the type of person who could get carried away with what she says. 3) My characters don't keep changing. I never said that Ginny was in any way 'an old granny.' And I don't see her being bubbly; she's much more the fiery type, like her mother, and she's growing up. Also, I'm thinking that Ron _probably _knows his _sister's_ real name by now, and may even use it to tease her. If my writing is jumpy, I'll try to change that. But please, _please, _PLEASE don't say that my chapters are too short. They are as long as they need to be, and say what needs to be said. In conclusion, thank you for the few kind words you said.

gryffindor-girl12: Thanks! What list am I on, may I ask?

That's all, folks! Feel free to e-mail me at any time, and please review! All I ask is that you remember that I write these stories _for fun._ Thank you!

By: SammyLynn


	5. Endings and Beginnings

Disclaimer: Yeah, I _wish _I had the brilliance to create this stuff…

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The Final Quest

Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings

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Despite all he did to stop them, Harry still had to listen to the Weasleys and Hermione sing to him on his birthday while he sat at the table in the kitchen that evening.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!"

"You look like a dung bomb, and you smell like one too!" Fred and George chorused, making everyone laugh as they finished their own song.

Mrs. Weasley handed Harry a knife, and he began cutting the enormous chocolate cake that she had made for him and his friends. The bright purple icing on the cake read, "Happy birthday, Harry! Good luck, Ron and Hermione!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been forced by Mrs. Weasley to take the first pieces, so they retired to a smaller table in the corner of the room. Harry was trying to keep as much space between himself and Ginny as possible.

When they sat down, Harry noticed that Ron's face was incredibly pale, and he was prodding his cake with his fork. For Ron, not wolfing down food that was given to him was a sure sign that something was wrong.

"You okay, mate?" Harry asked.

Ron simply nodded. Hermione glanced at him worriedly. If Ron kept looking like he did, someone was bound to try and convince them to stay.

Someone like Harry, even.

"You don't have to come, you know-"

"Harry, we're coming, and you know it," Ron said forcefully.

"Yes, we are. But Ron, it's okay to be scared," Hermione remarked in a quiet tone.

Ron glared at her. "I'm not scared."

Hermione cautiously reached over the table and placed her hand gently on top of Ron's. His face seemed to change from white to red instantly.

"That's more like it," said Harry. He got up and clapped his friend on the back. "I'm going to go upstairs and make sure we've packed everything."

Hermione, of course, had gotten her things ready the night before. But Harry and Ron were a few steps behind, as usual.

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"Clothes, wands, books, owls…"

Harry was in Ron's bedroom, mentally checking off their belongings when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Harry called, his head inside of his trunk.

He glanced up. Ginny was standing in the doorway, her fiery red hair pulled into two long, loose braids. She was holding something behind her back.

"Hi, Harry."

Harry closed his trunk and sat on top of it. "Hi."

Ginny took a deep breath and walked over to Harry's trunk. She sat down next to him, putting her clasped hands into her lap, still concealing what she had brought with her. For several moments, she looked down, as though she was thinking about what to say.

Finally, she spoke. "Harry…I want to give you your birthday present."

"Ginny, you didn't have to-"

"But I wanted to…"

She took his hand and placed a small vial into it. Harry stared at its contents. The bottle was no bigger than his palm, but it contained a frothy golden liquid.

"_Felix Felicis,"_ Harry breathed.

Ginny nodded. A few tears escaped from her glassy eyes.

"Good luck, Harry."

She put her hand on the back of his neck, making him shiver. She placed a tender kiss on his lips, not expecting him to respond. However, Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny and gently kissed her back. He was content just to sit with her and be a part of something completely innocent.

Ginny pulled away from him, and turned to bury her head in his shoulder. Harry could feel the wetness of her tears through his shirt, but she refrained from sobbing.

"It's okay," Harry said, while rubbing her back softly. "Everything's going to be okay."

Neither of them believed Harry's words, but even falsehood offers comfort in dark times.

Suddenly, Harry said, "I have something for you."

Ginny sat up and discretely wiped her eyes. "What to you mean?" she asked.

Harry reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a locket, which was hanging on a gold chain. He put the vial of Felix Felicis in its place, so that there would be something weighing down his pocket. Harry constantly carried the locket with him, for it reminded him of Albus Dumbledore.

"Turn around," he said.

Ginny covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. "Harry, no, you can't give me that," she persisted.

"Yes, I can, and I want to."

Ginny continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"Turn around," Harry repeated.

This time, she did. Harry lowered the chain around her neck and clasped it. Ginny faced him once again. The necklace looked beautiful on her.

Harry touched the locket. "Keep it safe for me, okay?"

"Of course," Ginny said, nodding. "Harry…please tell me that you're coming back."

He immediately averted his gaze.

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, Harry turned back towards her. He wanted to tell her that he would be back. He wanted to tell her that they were going to have fun again. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He could say none of these.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

Ginny sighed sadly, and wrapped her arms around him. Harry embraced her again.

Just then, Ron and Hermione walked into the room. Ginny jumped up. "Er," she said. "Looks like you're all packed. Good luck, guys. I'm going to miss you." She stood on her tiptoes to give Ron a kiss on the cheek, and then hugged Hermione. Without looking back, she left the room, walked down the stairs to her own, and slammed the door.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other awkwardly.

Ron broke the silence. "Mum's crying downstairs."

Harry sighed. He knew from the beginning that none of this would be easy.

They used their wands to levitate their trunks, and entered the kitchen five minutes later. Mrs. Weasley was surrounded by most of her sons, and her husband was patting her on the back comfortingly.

"Now, now, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, noticing Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "The kids are here."

Mrs. Weasley dried her eyes on her apron. She walked over and embraced Harry and Hermione at the same time. She pulled away, holding them at an arm's length, and beamed at the both of them. "I'm so proud of you two. I know that you're not my children, but you'll always be welcome here…as family."

Harry and Hermione smiled back.

"And you, Ron…" She grabbed her son and planted dozens of kisses on his face.

Harry and Hermione took turns shaking the hands of the other Weasleys, one by one. Then they walked into the living room, and out the front door, leaving Ron to have some time alone with his family.

Hermione dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a finger. "You've got to love them, right?" She asked, and gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Yeah," Harry answered, staring out at the horizon as the sun disappeared. It was the end of the day, as well as the end of their childhood. Tomorrow, they would all be adults. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Ginny. They had grown and matured a great deal, though not without flaws. Hermione was still too smart for her own good, Ron still needed to learn what to say and when to say it, Ginny was still a powerful young witch, and Harry was still reckless. Tomorrow, they would all be stepping into the world with their heads held high, knowing that what they are doing is right. They are on the right side, fighting against evil.

"Ready?" Ron asked, pulling the front door shut. His face was the distinct color of a plum.

Harry and Hermione nodded, and they all walked to the road.

There was a resounding _CRACK!_ and the violet-colored Knight Bus appeared.

"Damn these trunks," Ron muttered, his face turning green at the first glance of this particular form of magical transportation.

They walked onto the bus silently, merely nodding at Ernie, the driver, as they made their way to three vacant seats in the back.

The trio looked at each other and smiled. They then glanced out the window to get one last peek at the Burrow. There was another _CRACK! _and the bus began traveling down another, incredibly bumpy, road.

One phrase was going through each of their minds, allowing them to feel confident. _Tomorrow was a new day, and a new beginning._

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A/N: Whew! It's been a long day. Please review!

Jeefus: Harry is an incredibly determined young man. And thank you! I tried to make the wedding different.

Ginnypotterfan: Honestly, I'm not sure what Ginny's eye color is! I just put turquoise because Ron's eyes are blue, so I figured hers might be the same. And thanks!

griffindor-girl12: Thanks so much! Haha, I should have known.

HermioneJaneKoriand'rTarberllaRiewer: Wow, what a long pen name! Thank you for your review. It was so nice! I'm glad you liked the wedding!

Rosie5: Hey! Thanks for the review! I put a little bit more Harry/Ginny in this chapter, but it's all totally innocent. I like it like that. Haha, I liked the he/she/it's comment. That made my day!

llaura: Yup, I'm updating! I update weekly/biweekly. It depends on school and other things that are happening, but I try! Thanks for reading!

In conclusion, thank you, everyone!

By: SammyLynn


	6. Discoveries

Disclaimer: Insert humorous disclaimer of your choice here.

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The Final Quest

Chapter Six: Discoveries

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Rain pounded on the roof of the Leaky Cauldron. The morning skies were unusually dark and dreary, and the wind was making the thin walls and windows shake. Every now and then, a loud crack of thunder or a flash of lightening would make Harry, Ron, and Hermione jump.

They were sitting at one of the tables in the pub, silently eating their breakfast, still in their pajamas.

As Ron was taking a third helping of eggs and bacon, he sighed exasperatedly. "Harry, Hermione…lighten up."

They both glared at him.

"Or not," he said. "But at least talk. We're the only ones staying here, we might as well make a bit of noise." Ron sighed and took a sip of pumpkin juice from his goblet.

BANG! The front door opened so fast that it looked as though it might have fallen off its hinges. Ron spit out his pumpkin juice, and it sprayed all over Hermione's food. His goblet fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

Harry snorted, and Hermione gasped, pretending to be angry with Ron.

"It's only Tom!" she exclaimed, pushing her plate away from her.

Tom the barman strode into the pub and closed the damaged door behind him. "Ah…I'll have to fix that…all right, you three?" he asked them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded, trying their best not to laugh. Seeing Tom dressed in a tight Muggle raincoat and large pink boots was rather amusing.

"Well," said Tom, walking towards them. "I went out to wash the sign, you know, but I suppose that's useless in the rain…" He continued to mutter as he wandered into his own room next to the bar.

The room erupted in giggles as soon as he was out of sight.

"Did you see that coat?" Hermione asked.

"Did you see his boots?" Harry said.

_"P…p…pink!"_ Ron gasped.

Tom came out of his room, still wearing the pink boots, and continuing to muttering to himself.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione bolted out of their chairs and up the stairs to their room, calling a brief "Thanks for breakfast, Tom!" down to him.

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They each collapsed on their own beds, out of breath. Their room was rather dusty and had a slight stench of old socks, but there were three cozy beds and a fireplace just for them.

"Where are we going today?" Ron asked, when he finally regained the ability to speak.

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I need to find where Godric's Hollow is located…"

"And I'd really like to give my parents a call," said Hermione.

Ron grinned. "On the fellytone?"

"Yes, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. "On the fellytone."

Harry smirked and shook his head. "Well, let's go do that first, then. I think there's some payphones down the street, at King's Cross."

Once they had all cleaned up and pulled on their clothes, they set off, each with their own umbrella. As they passed shops along the way, Harry and Hermione tried to explain to Ron what things like computers were.

"…So, Ron, they're mostly used to store information. Ron?" Hermione looked beside her, and saw that he had disappeared. "Oh no…" she said, breathing heavily.

Harry turned around. "There he is!"

Ron was about a block behind them, being harrassed by an old homeless woman with a carriage. He looked genuinly shocked.

Hermione marched back to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the woman just as she was about to hit him with her carriage.

"Thanks…"

"Don't mention it."

Ron and Hermione both looked down and blushed. Their hands were still clasped together.

"C'mon," said Ron quietly, and he pulled Hermione back to where Harry was.

"All set?" Harry asked.

Ron laughed. "Shut up."

They were fortunate enough not to meet another homeless woman the rest of the way to the train station.

When they arrived, Hermione ran as fast as she could to the nearest payphone and slipped a few coins through the slot.Harry could hear the phone ringing from where he was, standing a few feet away from Hermione, next to Ron. Suddenly, the ringing stopped, and a woman's voice said, "Hello?"

"Mum?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione! Sweetheart, where have you been?"

"Well, you know that I can't tell you everything I'm doing. But…"

Just then, Harry saw a dark shadow out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head to see what was, he caught the swish of a cloak going around a corner. He left Ron and Hermione without saying a word, and raced over to the spot where the cloak had been. Sure enough, there was a hooded and caped figure rapidly nearing the exit of the train station. Harry followed it, getting closer and closer every second. He reached out his hand to pull down the person's hood, practically feeling the cloth under his fingertips. However, a second later, they both stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, and the cloaked figure was enveloped by harrassed-looking businessmen and eager shoppers.

Harry jogged down the road a bit, but it was no use. The person was gone.

His mind was plagued with thoughts of who it was underneath that cloak. Could it have been a member of the Order of the Phoenix? Or worse, could it have been a Death Eater?

When he went back to his friends at King's cross, Harry saw that Hermione was still on the phone with her parents. Only now, instead of looking happy, she looked incredibly upset. Ron was gently rubbing her back.

"Really, dad? I did?" she said. "That's lovely." A few tears escaped from Hermione's eyes. "Okay, well, have a good day. I'll talk to you later." She slowly hung up the phone and turned to look at Harry and Ron. "My dad…he told me that I made Head Girl. My badge is at home." She sighed and wiped her eyes.

"Hermione, you-" Harry started.

She glared at him in defiance. "No, Harry. We're here, with you, and we're staying. That's not going to change."

Harry merely nodded in response. They walked back to the Leaky Cauldron in silence, apart from the howling wind and rain.

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The rest of the morning was spent trying to find Tom's jar of floo powder amongst all of his clutter, which was, as Ron put it, "Like looking for something that won't try to eat you alive in Fred and George's old room."

Harry had decided to try to talk to Hagrid, his friend, and the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. Figuring that he would be there, Harry could use the floo powder to speak to Hagrid through the fireplace in his small hut on the Hogwarts grounds. Harry wasn't exactly looking forward to using the floo again, but it was a necessity if he wanted to find out about Godric's Hollow.

He was rummaging through a cupboard when he heard Hermione scream.

"What on earth!"

Turning around, Harry saw that she had been searching for the floo powder behind the bottles of butterbeer and mead on a shelf. A small jar had shut itself on Hermione's thumb. She took it off, and quickly dumped its contents onto a nearby table.

"Found it, have you?" Ron asked, poking his head out of a closet and looking at the glittery substance on the table.

"Looks like it," Harry commented. He stood up and walked over to Hermione, as did Ron.

"So, let's go back to our room and use the fireplace there. I'm pretty sure that all of the fireplaces here are hooked up to the floo network," said Ron.

"I hope so," said Harry, brushing the powder into his hand and leading the way to their room.

"_Incendio,"_ Hermione muttered, pointing her wand at the logs in the fireplace when she walked through the door. They immediately caught on fire, spreading warmth through the chilly room.

Harry kneeled down by the fire. "Thanks."

She simply nodded in reply and sat down on her bed. "So you're going to ask Hagrid about Godric's Hollow?"

"Yeah. He went there after Voldemort attacked my parents' house, so he'll know."

Ron sat down beside Hermione. This time, he hadn't even flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name. "Good luck, mate."

Harry grinned. "Thanks." He tossed the floo powder that was still in his hand into the fire. "See you," he said, and placed his hands on either side of the fire. Harry shouted a quick, "Hagrid's hut!" and dove his head right into the flames.

Colors whirled around him, and he closed his eyes. When the wind in his ears stopped, he opened them and saw the inside of Hagrid's hut.

Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, jumped up from the floor and began to slobber all over Harry's face, which was in the middle of Hagrid's fire.

"No, Fang, no!" Harry shouted. Fang backed away and began to bark. Harry looked around the room, but Hagrid was nowhere to be found.

Just then, the front doorknob turned, and Harry could see Hagrid's giant figure and his mane of black hair when he opened the door.

"Fang, what yeh barkin' abou'? Oh! Harry!" Hagrid hurried inside and knelt down by the fire. "What's goin' on? How are yeh? Where are Ron an' Hermione?"

Harry grinned. "They're back in our room. We're all fine…but I need to as you something."

Hagrid sighed. "Right."

"Where's Godric's Hollow?"

"I knew yeh'd ask someday. When're yeh leavin'?"

"As soon as possible, I suppose."

"Well, as yeh know, yeh're parents' house was destroyed. But the village itself is located between London and Cambridge, in a wood surrounded by hills. Yeh'd have to fly or apparate, but I'd tell yeh to fly."

"Thanks, Hagrid. I think I'll take your advice on that…Hermione'll be able to ride with either Ron or me, right?"

"I think so. Harry…yeh're not comin' back to school, are yeh?"

"No," Harry stated. "We aren't."

Hagrid looked at him sadly. "I knew, I knew. Well, If yeh ever need a hand…"

Harry nodded in thanks.

"Come an' visit me sometime, 'kay?"

"We will. I promise."

"Good luck, Harry. Tell Ron an' Hermione that I say the same to them, too."

Harry nodded again. "See you, Hagrid."

"See yeh."

Harry pulled his head out from the flames that were tickling him. He sighed, and got up to sit down with Ron and Hermione.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

Harry told them everything that Hagrid had said.

"Well," said Hermione. "We should head out now, seeing as it's dark out from the weather, and it'll be more difficult for anyone to get on our trail. Just in case, though, you can use your invisibility cloak, Harry, and Ron and I can use the disillusionment charm."

"Wow, Hermione, you've got this all planned out, haven't you?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I figured we'd have to fly."

"Really, Harry, I haven't gotten her to shut up about how we're going to get to Godric's Hollow since you left," said Ron.

"Well," Harry remarked, smirking. "I know how you could have-"

"_Harry!"_ Hermione gasped, and busied herself with packing her things.

Ron's ears went red, and he followed suit.

As soon as they were ready to leave, they went downstairs to the pub and bid Tom farewell.

"Thanks for letting us stay, Tom!" Hermione said.

Harry and Ron shouldered their brooms and walked to the back of the pub, where the entrance to Diagon Alley was. Harry opened the door.

Standing on the grass was the cloaked figure that Harry had seen earlier, waiting for them.

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A/N: Yay! The sixth chapter is done. And I've already started the seventh!

Jeefus: Thank you so much. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter! I think it's the best one I've written. And the answer to your question is, no, they won't completely rely on their family and the Order. They may need their help from time to time, but they need to be on their own. You'll definitely see the other characters again, though, I promise!

griffindor-girl12: Yes, they are together. But what would make you think that I'm going to kill Harry?

Elmire: Thank you! I'm glad you like the style, and I promise I'll keep it going!

Rosie5: Thanks! I really think that the last chapter was one of the best I've ever written. Not to sound boastful, but I loved it, too! I guess you've got to love your story before you can let anyone else do so, right?

Well, I've got to get some sleep. Please review! Thanks!

By: SammyLynn


	7. Disruption in Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: Yo quiero Harry Potter, pero yo no tengo Harry Potter.

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The Final Quest

Chapter Seven: Disruption in Diagon Alley

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Ron and Hermione gasped beside him. Harry automatically whipped out his wand and pointed it at the lone dark figure. He couldn't help but notice that whoever was hiding under that cloak was several inches shorter than him.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded.

A voice spoke, but it wasn't the one he wanted to hear. It was Hermione.

"Harry, Ron…please don't be mad," she said so quietly that he could barely hear her.

Harry rounded on her, keeping one eye on the cloaked figure. "What's going on!"

Hermione looked down at her feet. "Well, you see, er…" she stammered.

Ron looked at Harry, confused. He turned to Hermione as well. "What do you know that we don't?"

"Just promise me you won't overreact!" Hermione pleaded.

Ron stared at her. The color drained from his face. "No, Hermione. Please don't tell me you knew, and didn't tell us…"

Hermione stared back, her eyes slowly filling with tears. She nodded.

Harry looked from Ron, to Hermione, and back again.

"Hermione-" he began.

"I'm sorry," she said, and buried her face in her hands.

Ron strode over to the figure, and pulled off its hood.

It was Ginny.

A solitary tear was running down her cheek, and her wavy red hair was slightly disheveled. "Don't be angry with Hermione. I made her swear that she wouldn't tell either of you."

Harry was speechless. His arm fell limp by his side. He could distantly hear Ron yelling at Ginny and Hermione. At the same time, thousand different thoughts raced through Harry's mind. _I just held my wand up to Ginny…to someone I care about…Ginny's been following us…she could have gotten hurt…she's in danger…_

Ron's yells ceased and he was breathing heavily.

Ginny sighed and spoke again. "Harry, Ron, _I'm sorry."_

Harry looked at her. "Why are you doing this?"

Ginny smiled sadly. "I want to be with you. I want to fight with you."

"I can't let you do that…"

"I don't care. Why can't you both see that? I don't care if you think I'm in danger by going with you. I'm going to be in danger, no matter where I am! Everyone is. We've all got the same enemy."

Ron walked forward, leaving his belongings behind, and began tapping his wand on the bricks of the wall opposite the four of them.

Hermione ran to him and placed a hand on his arm, trying to lower it. "Ron, don't!"

He shook her off and glared in her direction. "We're taking her to Fred and George."

Harry, torn from his stupor by what Ron had said, nodded. "C'mon." Harry took her hand and dragged her to the entrance of Diagon Alley just as Ron tapped the last block. The bricks shifted, revealing the doorway to what once was a winding road of shops, filled with smiling people. Now, not a singe soul could be found, and the street was in shambles. Everything seemed to be dark and dreary.

Harry was a few paces from the entrance when he felt it. A sudden sadness came upon him. The air around Harry became colder than ice, and a distinct chill ran up his spine.

Ginny gasped, feeling the change in atmosphere. "Oh no..."

Ron and Hermione both took their wands out defensively and surveyed the stores around them.

"Why are they here?" Hermione asked, shivering.

"To wreak havoc, that's why. Hermione, take Ginny back to the Leaky Cauldron," Harry said.

Ginny turned to stand in front of him. "No."

Ron's breath was coming out in puffs of steam. "Ginny, you're underage-"

"I'm not leaving, either," Hermione whispered.

Harry sighed. "Keep close together. Let's find Fred and George," he compromised, hoping that the twins were safe.

They all lit the tips of their wands, peering into every broken-down shop, every nook and cranny. The Dementors were nowhere to be seen, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny could all sense their presence.

Just then, shouts were heard from around the bend.

"_The twins…"_ Ginny breathed. She took off running, wand at the ready.

"Ginny, wait!" Harry called, and he, Ron, and Hermione went after her.

As they turned the corner, a terrible sight met their eyes. Fred and George's shop was almost destroyed; only one of the far corners remained standing. Pieces of wood and trick candies littered the ground. The U-NO-POO sign that previously hung in the bright store window was cracked in half, still flashing yellow near their feet. What appeared to be Shield Hats, Cloaks, and Gloves were in flames. One of Fred and George's staff members, Verity, lay amongst the rubble, a trickle of blood streaking her short blond hair. In the very middle of it all, Fred and George were back-to-back, surrounded by Dementors.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ they were shouting in unison. Their voices sounded tired and weak. Feeble Patronuses were emitted from their wands, but the dementors either stumbled over them or simply brushed them out of the way, closing in on the Weasley twins.

Ginny had stopped a few feet ahead of Harry, in shock. He went up to her and tried to make her move, but she wouldn't budge. Her face was pale, her eyes fixed on the attack taking place in front of her.

Ron and Hermione ran forward, yelling the Patronus charm at the top of their lungs, trying their best to help Fred and George.

Harry turned Ginny towards him. Her eyes looked distant and out of focus. She raised her wand, pointing it directly at Harry's chest.

"_Crucio."_

Harry only had time to gasp before dropping his wand and falling backwards, writhing in pain. The Cruciatus Curse made him feel as though a thousand knives were piercing his body simultaneously.

"Ginny…" said Harry, with all of the strength he could muster. "What are you doing…stop…"

For a second, he thought she had. The pain stopped, and Ginny's vision cleared. She opened her mouth and whispered, "Harry…I…Imperius Curse…"

Then, Harry heard a high-pitched voice come from behind Ginny. "No! _Imperio!"_

Someone was hiding in the shadows.

Ginny's eyes became stoic again. Harry quickly groped around on the ground for his wand, trying to find it before Ginny could curse him a second time. _"Cru-"_

"_Expelliarmus!" _Harry bellowed, finding his wand at last, and pointing it behind Ginny. Another wand flew out of the darkness and into his outstretched hand.

Once Ginny became herself again, she ran to Harry and knelt down beside him. "Harry, I'm so sorry-"

A scream came from behind them. Ginny looked up, and her eyes widened. Harry craned his neck to see what was going on.

A dementor had Ron trapped on the ground, and Hermione, Fred, and George had at least six other dementors to get through before they could help him.

Harry put his hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Go help him, I'll be fine!" he exclaimed.

Ginny nodded defiantly and hurried off to save her brother.

Harry turned back to the shadows and stood up. _"Lumos,"_ he said, raising his wand to see who was hiding from him.

"_Bellatrix LeStrange,"_ Harry breathed.

"We meet again, Harry Potter. Please, call me Bella," the dark-haired, gaunt-faced witch said with an evil laugh. Harry noticed that the Death Eater was leaning on a broomstick.

"You're welcome to leave now, you know," he remarked.

"Ah, you jest, Potter! Why would I leave without my wand?" Bellatrix reached out her arm, revealing the Dark Mark that was branded upon it. "Give it here, Potter!"

Harry smirked. He pointed both wands at her and said, _"Engorgio."_

Much to her surprise, Bellatrix's arm began to swell. She raised it with great difficulty, and glared at Harry. "DAMN YOU, POTTER!" she shrieked, and made wild attemps to grasp her wand.

"_Impedimenta!" _Harry shouted in retaliation. Bellatrix's movements slowed immediately, and her face contorted in fury. "Now, thankfully for you, my friends are in trouble. If they weren't…well, trust me, _Bella, _you'll get what's coming to you. Get on your broom, and _leave."_

Bellatrix had no choice but to comply. Without a wand, she was unable to defend herself, and unable to shrink her enormous arm (it was about the size of a medium-sized Muggle television by now) back to its normal size. She got onto her broom, her arm dangling limply by her side.

"No, Potter," she said, her sunken eyes glittering with malice in the light of the fire behind him. _"You'll _get what's coming to you." With that, she flew away.

Harry turned around. Many of the Dementors had already left, most likely driven off by the strong Patronuses of his friends. However, Fred and George were unconscious on the ground, close to Verity, Hermione watching over them. Ron and Ginny were left to battle the few Dementors that were left, and they looked exhausted.

Harry pocketed Bellatrix's wand and pointed his own at the remaining group of Dementors. _"Expecto Patronum!"_

A large silvery stag erupted from his wand and charged at the soul-sucking, cloaked beings. The power of Harry's stag, combined with Ron's Jack Russell terrier and Ginny's doe, forced the lot of Dementors to glide away into the darkness.

Harry hurried over to the other three. "Are you all okay?" he asked concernedly.

Ron and Ginny nodded.

"I'm fine," said Hermione. "But Fred, George, and Verity need to go to St. Mungo's."

Ron walked over to Harry. "I'll go back to the Leaky Cauldron and use floo powder to talk to the hospital."

"Okay," Harry said. "Take Hermione with you, though."

Hermione glanced worriedly at the three figures laying over the debris. Ginny knelt down beside her. "I'll take care of them," she said, and patted Hermione's back reassuringly. "Go with him."

Hermione finally stood up and joined Harry and Ron. Ron reached over and took her hand. "Let's go," he coaxed.

Hermione made a noise that evidently meant 'yes,' because a second later she had lit her wand, leading the way back to the inn.

Harry walked over to Ginny and sat down beside her. She had long since put out the fire, and attempted in vain to clear some of the rubble with her wand. Harry looked about at the vacant shops for what seemed like hours, until he noticed that another had been boarded up.

"Madam Malkin, she's gone missing, too," said Ginny, who had seen what Harry was looking at. "George told me before he passed out. I can't believe it…"

Harry sighed. "Unfortunately, I can. And Ginny, you've got to, too. It's only going to get worse before it gets better. This is the kind of thing you've got to be prepared to deal with if…" Harry paused, and and turned so he could see her. "…If you're going to go with us."

Ginny stared right back at him. "I know," she said. "I can do this."

Harry tried to grin. "Well, now all you have to do is convince Ron."

"Oh, I think he's pretty convinced. I just saved his life, you know."

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A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It has meaning. What happens in this chapter prepares the four of them…yes, four…for what's to come.

Rosie5: Thanks! I hoped that people found the last chapter funny. I try my best with humor, but I don't always succeed! And yes, now you know who the cloaked figure is! She's tricky, that Ginny Weasley. Can't wait for your next chapter!

ShdwSephiroth: Thank you! But actually, we're both wrong! I just read it in Chamber of Secrets last night. Ginny's eyes are brown! Props to Rosie5 for telling me first. I can't believe I didn't remember that. I just assumed that since Ron's eyes were blue, Ginny's eyes would be, too. Oh well! I'll get around to changing it, I promise!

FadedRose: Thank you so much! I'll be updating this week with the next chapter.

griffindor-girl12: Hehe, nope. No death for Harry that soon!

AmandaKay8856789: Right on target! Good job. I submit chapters right when I finish them, which lately, has been once a week. I'll try to write faster, but I don't want to diminish the quality of my writing. I also have school, a job, and other things to deal with. But I'll try! Thanks for the review.

Mei fa-chan: Thanks!

Jeefus: Not Remus, but that was an interesting guess! He'll appear later on in the story, I assure you. You'll see everyone! Thanks so much for reviewing every chapter, I really appreciate it!

xxxHinaxxx: Thank you!

Thanks for reading! Please review!

By: SammyLynn


	8. The Locket

Disclaimer: In literal translation, the last disclaimer meant, "I want Harry Potter, but I do not have Harry Potter." However, it could also be taken to mean, "I love Harry Potter, but I do not own Harry Potter." Ah, I love Spanish. It's my future major in college!

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The Final Quest

Chapter Eight: The Locket

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Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny accompanied Fred, George, and Verity on the way to St. Mungo's. The Healer that Ron and Hermione brought back with them had conjured three stretchers for the twins and their employee with her wand.

They were now walking the unusually deserted streets of London. A few Muggles still roamed the town, but in the rain and darkness, they took no notice of the four pedestrians surrounding the stretchers that rolled along without being pushed (along with the older woman who lead them, wearing bright green robes).

Harry glanced up at the slowly rising full moon. He briefly wondered is Remus Lupin had taken any Wolfsbane Potion where he was staying, at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Harry figured that werewolf transformations must be wilder than usual these days, with all of the events that had recently taken place in the wizarding world. All of the deaths and attacks had to be taking a toll on the Order members. Harry hoped that Lupin wasn't cooped up, alone in that dreadful house.

He took his eyes off of the moon and glanced at his friends. They walked in silence with their breath coming out in small puffs of steam, but Harry knew that each of their minds were racing. Hermione had a tight hold on Ron's hand, and looked down every dark ally for any sign of danger. Ron was staring at his unconscious brothers with a grim expression. Ginny, who walked in between Harry and Ron, kept twirling the locket that Harry had given her between her fingers.

The locket. The locket that was reminiscent of Albus Dumbledore's death, but which also gave some sort of comfort. The locket that should have been a Horcrux, if the mysterious R.A.B. had not gotten to it first.

The group had finally reached the street of the old department store that disguised St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. As they began walking toward it, Harry thought, _Who could R.A.B. possibly be? _He highly doubted that it was somebody he knew, but everywhere he searched, in every book he, Ron, and Hermione looked through, they met dead ends.

At the entrance to the hospital, the Healer kindly assured Ron and Ginny that their brothers would be perfectly fine, and that they should be able to talk to them about the attack in the morning. While she continued to talk with the other three, Harry's mind lingered on the subject of R.A.B. It was only after she had taken Fred, George, and Verity inside the concealed hospital that Harry realized something he thought he should have noticed a long time ago.

"We were right all along…" he whispered, after they started treading back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Ginny, who was beside him, looked at him oddly. "What was that, Harry?"

Ron and Hermione stopped in their tracks and turned to face him, as well.

Harry glanced around and noticed a small park to their right. The iron gate had chains wrapped tightly around the middle bars, a giant padlock holding them together. Harry grinned and pointed towards it. "Let's go sit down in there."

Hermione ran forward and pulled her wand out of her pocket. _"Alohomora!" _

Ron laughed. "I had a feeling she would do that," he said quietly so that only Harry could hear him.

They walked across the street without even bothering to look for cars; they hadn't seen one in hours. Harry and Ron pulled the chains off of the gate and it creaked open.

The grass was slightly overgrown, but the park was still inviting. The moon shined on the sandbox, which still held several half-built sandcastles. The silent wind pushed a few of the child-sized swings, making them squeak. A dull red picnic table sat at the very corner of the park. The four teenagers made their way to it and sat down; Harry and Ron on one side, Hermione and Ginny on the other.

Hermione rested her wand on one of the cracks in the old table. "Now, what were you saying, Harry?"

Harry sighed. "We have to tell Ginny about the locket first."

And so they told her. They told her everything that had happened from the moment Harry had left with Dumbledore to seek one of Voldemort's Horcruxes to when he, Ron, and Hermione had read the note that was left inside the fake locket. After they finished, Ginny's mouth was slightly ajar.

"Wow," she breathed. "R.A.B. could be anyone…"

"Or," Harry said, finally getting to his point, "it could be someone so obvious that we never even considered before."

He let them all think for a moment. Suddenly, in quick succession, Hermione gasped, Ron slammed the picnic table with his fist, and Ginny breathed the surname that Harry was waiting to hear.

"…_Black…"_

Ron looked confused. "I know…but which one?"

"Sirius's brother, Regulus. R.A.B.," Harry stated, his expression turning grim.

Hermione looked up in awe. "Oh, my goodness…" she muttered. "But does his middle name start with an 'A'?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "Sirius _did_ say something about having an Uncle Alphard…"

Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth. "Harry!"

"What?" Harry said, turning towards her.

"We have to go to Grimmauld Place."

Ron looked at her as though she had grown another head. "Why?"

"Remember two summers ago, when we were tidying up the place? We found that locket…"

"Of course, none of us could open it!" exclaimed Hermione, with a look of dawning comprehension. Then, she gasped. "What if Regulus never succeeded in destroying the Horcrux?"

Harry had never contemplated going back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He looked down for a moment, thinking. It was the last place on Earth he wanted to go. Harry would have to see the ancient house that was like a prison to his godfather, the house that was almost as horrid as Azkaban itself. But then again, he needed to return. They all needed to concentrate on the task at hand. _We need to destroy the Horcruxes…_ Harry thought. When he lifted his head, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all staring at him. "I guess we really do have to go back, then."

Harry rested his hands on his knees and waited for one of them to say something. However, Ginny did something that meant more to him than words. Unknown to the others, she reached under the table and took Harry's hand. She squeezed it gently, giving him an understanding smile at the same time, and he squeezed back in return.

Hermione grabbed one of Ron's hands and pulled it towards her, but only to read the time from his watch. "We have to get to bed," she sighed. "It's past midnight already."

Harry nodded, glancing up at the moon again. "We can leave tomorrow morning…we'll just have to tell Tom we're staying another night. That is, if he's still awake."

"Nobody goes to the Leaky Cauldron anymore, so it should be okay," said Ron. "He'll probably jump for joy when he sees we're back."

"But Harry, what about Godric's Hollow?" asked Hermione concernedly.

Harry's expression turned serious, and he frowned. "It'll have to wait."

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When they arrived back at the pub, Harry and Ron grabbed a cot for Ginny that was in a closet at the end of their hallway.

On their way back to the room, Ron turned to Harry. "Ginny's coming with us, isn't she?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes."

Ron nodded, as well. "You know, I wasn't going to cave in."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"But then, Ginny took out those dementors like it was nothing…" Ron continued.

Harry grinned. "Ron, she's going to be okay."

"Yeah," he said. "I think so, too."

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The next morning, they all took turns cleaning up and getting dressed in the bathroom. It turned out that Ginny had magically shrunk a bag of clothes, and kept them in her pocket.

"I used it, figuring that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts. I learned the spell last year," she told Hermione. "I found it in _Shrinking for Schmucks, _by Shirley Schroder."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You'll have to teach me!"

Ron gasped in horror. "Hermione…correct me if I'm wrong, but…there's a book that you _haven't _read?"

Hermione swatted his arm.

Harry laughed, hoisting his back onto his shoulder. "We should head out," he said. He and Ron picked up their brooms as the girls checked the room for anything they may have forgotten.

"All set," they said in unison, and followed the boys out the door.

They tiptoed until they got outside, for it was very early, and they did not want to wake Tom.

After Harry and Ron tied the bags to their brooms, they mounted them. Hermione joined Ron, and Ginny, looking awkward for a moment, hopped onto the back of Harry's Firebolt.

Ginny relaxed, and asked if Harry and Ron were sure they knew the way back to Grimmauld Place.

"Except for the people who don't know about it, I don't think anyone could miss it," Ron replied. "It's not exactly ordinary."

As Harry prepared to kick off, his feet crunched the fallen autumn leaves. It was only then that he realized how much time had gone by since they left the Burrow. The seasons had changed so quickly, and he didn't want to waste any more time. He glanced at Ron, giving him a quick nod, and then they were off.

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Several hours later, their landing was far from graceful.

When they finally spotted Number Twelve, Ron had challenged Harry to a race. Whoever touched down last had to hand-wash everyone's clothes for a week. Unfortunately, Ron lost control of his broom, and he and Hermione ran straight into a large, rather macabre-looking tree.

Harry and Ginny pulled up next to them, laughing.

"You know, we could use a bit of help!" Hermione squeaked from a lower branch. Her hands were slipping off.

Before Harry and Ginny could swoop down, Ron quickly climbed from where he was to reach Hermione. He grasped her wrists and pulled her up, but he did it so fast that they both ended up toppling out of the tree.

Hermione screamed. Ron quickly wrapped his arms around her and turned so that he would hit the ground, which he did, with a great "Oof!"

Harry and Ginny landed next to them, dismounted, and knelt down beside them.

Hermione, who was on top of Ron, now slid off. Ron's arms were still fastened around her.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked.

Hermione narrowed her eyebrows. "Ron! Are _you _okay?"

He shrugged. "I think so…"

However, just as he began to sit up, the forgotten broom came tumbling out of the tree. Everyone looked up.

"Uh oh," Ron whispered.

The broom landed smack on his head. He was knocked back to the ground, the blow forcing him to release Hermione from his grasp.

"I…I'll have a bottle…of…of that, please…" Ron muttered, pointing to her. Hermione's expression was indescribable. Ron's eyes rolled back, then closed. His head fell to one side.

"_Ron!"_ Harry, Hermione, and Ginny said at the same time.

"We need to take him inside…" Ginny told them.

Harry grabbed Ron's arms. Hermione and Ginny carried the bags and brooms, and they dragged everything over to the entrance of the old house. They didn't even need to knock on the door once before it was opened rather hastily by Remus Lupin.

"I saw what happened, come in and lay him down…"

He led them to the bedroom that Harry had shared with Ron the summer before their fifth year at Hogwarts. It was very plain, with two beds, a wardrobe, and a portrait hanging on one of the walls.

"Ah, I see someone's hurt…" said the portrait's occupant, Phineas Nigellus.

"Go away, Phineas," Lupin snapped. He turned to Harry. "Here, let's get him on the bed…"

Together, Harry and Lupin lifted Ron and placed him on one of the room's old twin-sized beds. Hermione and Ginny started to unpack, casting nervous glances over at Ron every few seconds.

"He'll be okay," said Lupin calmly, trying to reassure them. "He's just been knocked out. He should be up and about sometime in the next few days. Shall we talk?" Lupin asked, gesturing for them to exit the room.

Hermione walked to Ron and nimbly placed a blanket over him. "I think I'll stay in here for a bit," she said, her voice quivering.

"If you're sure," said Lupin, and he walked out.

Hermione nodded, and Harry and Ginny followed Lupin into the foyer.

He was already sitting down in a chair when they entered. Harry and Ginny sat on the couch opposite him, and it was only then that Harry noticed a particularly long scratch on Lupin's cheek.

"What happened?" Harry asked him.

Lupin sighed. "I had a rough night."

Ginny frowned. "You didn't take any potion?"

"Unfortunately, the only person who could make the Wolfsbane Potion the correct way has turned against us," stated Lupin, his quiet words tainted with hatred of Severus Snape. He sighed again. "But that's enough about that. Anyway, I knew you three…or four, rather…would be coming to visit soon enough."

Harry gave him an odd look. "Why?" he asked loudly.

"Shh!" Lupin whispered. He pointed at a piece of cloth that was covering a large portrait. Harry nodded; he definitely didn't want to hear from Sirius's mother any time soon.

Lupin picked up something shiny and round from an end table and held it out to Harry. "You'll be wanting this, I suppose?"

It was the ring that had belonged to Voldemort's grandfather, Marvolo. The band was gold, with a black stone. It gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

Harry took it from Lupin's outstretched hand. "The Horcrux that Dumbledore destroyed…"

Lupin smiled sadly. "Yes. I figured you'd be wanting it. Professor McGonagall, who is our new Secret-Keeper, left it in my possession."

"Well, that's actually not why we came…but thank you," said Harry.

Lupin looked at Harry and Ginny questioningly. "Oh?"

"We need to find something," said Ginny.

Lupin asked no more questions. "Well, you are obviously welcome to stay as long as you like, though I daresay your mother will be checking in on you," he said, talking to Ginny.

Ginny winced. "She…erm…thinks that I'm at Hogwarts. That is, if she hasn't been told that I never arrived there…which she probably has. I suppose I should talk to her later tonight…"

Lupin merely nodded in agreement.

"So the school's open, then?" Harry asked, looking up at them.

Ginny nodded. "Mum left me at Platform 9 ¾, but I hopped off the back of the train just as it started moving to go off and find you three. I followed you for a while, you know."

"Ah," said Lupin, who seemed to understand what had occurred. "Well, I'm going to go down to the kitchen and help Tonks with dinner."

"Tonks is here, too?" Harry asked.

Lupin grinned, looking happy for the first time since they got there. He stood up and began walking towards the staircase. "Yes. She comes to visit and help out during the day. She's incredibly stubborn," he said, and went downstairs.

Ginny turned to Harry. "Shall we start looking?"

"Yeah…wasn't the locket in the drawing room when we were cleaning? Hopefully it wasn't thrown away…"

"No…I'm pretty sure I saved it, and left it in one of the cabinets."

"Well, let's go." Harry stood up and held his hand out. Ginny took it, and he led the way up to the drawing room.

When they opened the door, a puff of dust came out, making them cough. After it cleared, they walked in and went right to the menacing-looking glass cabinets. Harry and Ginny each took a deep breath, and started opening each of the cabinet doors.

"If you find it, don't touch it, okay? It might be dangerous," Harry warned. "We were all wearing gloves that day, while we were cleaning…"

After only a moment of rummaging, Harry heard a sharp intake of breath. He turned to look at Ginny. She pointed to the top shelf; the locket was hanging from it, unmistakably Slytherin's.

Harry reached out toward the locket, but Ginny pulled his hand back. "Harry, be careful!"

"Don't worry about me," Harry said. He stretched his hand out again, closed his eyes, and then snatched the locket from the shelf. He half-expected it to shock him, or hurt him in some way. But nothing happened; the locket stayed stationary, and Harry was perfectly fine.

He opened his eyes to find Ginny peering into them. "Harry?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," he said. "I think…I think that Regulus destroyed the Horcrux."

"Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed quietly, and threw her arms around Harry's neck.

Harry hugged her back. After she let go of him, he pocketed the locket. "I think I'll bring this along with us, and the ring, too. Just in case."

Ginny smiled. "Sounds good. I'm going to go check on Ron, okay?"

"I'll go with you," Harry replied.

He followed Ginny back down to their room. They were just about to enter when they saw an adorable sight through a crack in the door. Hermione lay next to a still-unconscious Ron, her head resting sweetly on his chest. She was breathing evenly.

"She's asleep," whispered Ginny. "Oh, how I wish I had a camera right now!"

Harry laughed quietly. "I think we're needed in the kitchen…"

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A/N: Sorry for the late update! I wanted this chapter to work, and it took a while for me to get it to flow alright. Plus, my life is crazy. End of story! Hah, no pun intended. Anyway, chapter nine should be up soon!

Jeefus: I try to throw in some surprises here and there, hehe. I apologize for not updating as quickly as usual!

Mei fa-chan: Thank you!

GinevraTheJediElf: You are absolutely right. May the force be with you, as well!

Wolf's scream: Yes, she's a bit sneaky, but not in a Slytherin way. And Harry's approach with Bellatrix actually happened very quickly. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear…he had to get rid of her so that he could help his friends, who are much more important to him than she is.

Dinatius: Thanks! I tried to put more description in this chapter. I hope you like it!

bewitchedquill: Everything with Harry and Ginny needed to be rushed; the others were in trouble, and needed their help. Haha, and yes, Ron's Patronus is a Jack Russell terrier…it's in Order of the Phoenix, I promise!

Elmire: I like Ginny, as well! Thank you for the review!

Rosie5: Yes, Bellatrix is a rather disgusting person. And I think 'crafty mix' is perfect to describe Ginny! Hehe, and I translated the last disclaimer in the disclaimer of this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

By: SammyLynn


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